In February of 2019 and as part of the 2019 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras program, Shaun Parker & Company are proud to present the world premiere of KING, an international music-dance collaboration between award-winning Australian director/choreographer Shaun Parker and renowned Bulgarian singer-songwriter/performance artist Ivo Dimchev.
This latest work from one of Australia’s most highly acclaimed contemporary dance companies builds on Shaun Parker & Company’s reputation for combining hard-hitting cutting-edge choreography with theatrical invention and striking soundscapes.
Set in a fantastical realm – part cocktail-bar, part jungle, the piece is played out to a seductive original score, created and performed live on stage by Dimchev, making his Australian debut in the role of soulful cabaret crooner.
How does KING play out?
KING begins with a gathering of young men, a show of skill, a competition. The group impress each other with feats of prowess until one among them is singled out as leader.
From this playful introduction, Parker uses his trademark highly physical choreography in an articulate interrogation of male power, control and group dynamic, expertly exposing the brutality of macho ritual and the human toll of toxic masculinity.
Thanks in large part to its LGBTIQ presentation, KING offers the audience a fresh take on historic notions of masculinity and socio-sexual-political structures, in the form of a biting, yet humorous theatrical nod to a society in revolt against an exhausted patriarchy.
The world premiere season of KING opens at the Seymour Centre’s Everest Theatre on February 20, 2019 for five shows only, until Sunday February 24.
Get tickets at the Seymore Centre website. Tickets $49 + BF / Concession $39 + BF.
